Last week I had a four-day weekend and it was AMAZING! Friday consisted of a great combination of playing (I finally took Demi to a park), working and running errands. I love those productive – yet fun – days.

I bribed myself into a working lunch with a nice meal and a cold-brew coffee (I’m very predictable) and ended up at Le Pain Quotidien with the best intentions of getting a salad.

But none of the salads grabbed me so I ended up trying their Spicy Shrimp & Avocado Tartine with a side of Gazpacho. It was SO good and one of those easy meals that seems a little fancy but really it’s not – just the kind of recipes I like to share here.

The inspiration that comes along with meals from a restaurant is one of my favorite aspects of eating out. All in the name of research, right? 😉 So I headed home with the largest loaf of bread ever, fresh from Le Pain Quotidien, and the ingredients to make Spicy Shrimp & Avocado Tartines at home.

Tartines are really just a fancy way of describing an open face sandwich, but I like them because it means there is more filling per slice of bread. And when the filling includes avocado, shrimp and a sweet & spicy sauce, more is always a good thing. This tartine is perfect for a light summer meal, and requires no cooking (unless you buy raw shrimp!). And it’s basically an upgraded avocado toast…so there’s that.